HE’S been dubbed the sexiest chef in the world and it’s easy to see the attraction.

Jean-Christophe Novelli is gorgeous, vibrant and confident and the same applies to his cuisine.

The dashing 50-year-old is known for his exuberant manner, flamboyant recipes and, of course, his sickly-sweet French accent.

And now the Hell’s Kitchen star will be cooking up a treat at Southport Food Festival on Sunday.

But Mr Novelli plans to come empty-handed, instead sourcing all his ingredients from right here in our resort.

He says: “I’m not bringing anything with me to the festival, I’m just going to turn up. I have contacts and suppliers who I will source fresh produce from to cook with. I am looking forward to meeting local farmers and sampling the excellent produce.”

He adds that fresh, local produce is essential in his cooking, a mentality he has inherited from his mother.

“When I was a kid in my hometown of Arras in Northern France, we didn’t have a lot. But if we ever needed to buy anything, my mother would get it fresh from the market and even when she had difficulty walking she would still buy everything fresh.

“Anything that we did not consume she would turn into a soup or a baked pudding, no food was wasted.

“But she hardly made bread, she didn’t have to – we lived next door to a bakery.

“I get very nostalgic when I thing about those times and now I have my son who turns three in August, now I understand.

“It doesn’t matter how great a chef you are – I want to cook for my family to express my love.

“Food tastes so much better when you are eating together. You should always make time to eat with your family.

“Everything I put on the table is an expression of my love.”

The nation’s favourite French chef isn’t giving anything away. “People will just have to come and see what I am going to cook,” he jokes.

It is important that people realise that cooking doesn’t have to be boring to be healthy, he insists.

“People are conscious of using too much salt or sugar or fat in their cooking but you don’t have to compromise on taste.

“You should not be afraid to experiment with ingredients, there are no rules. You can also enjoy eating well for less money every day.”

The French superstar often spends hours in the supermarket browsing the items on offer, he tells me.

“I am always excited when I buy new ingredients because it’s always a challenge to come up with dishes,” he reveals.

“I do more shopping now than when I had my restaurant, and these days you can get fresh, tasty ingredients for minimal money.”

He is also glad to have left the days of running his own restaurant behind, Jean-Christophe admits, adding: “I have my cookery school now.

“I feel so privileged to have it and I get to concentrate on other projects including my new book and DVD.”

One of those ‘other projects’ is a tour of Cumbria, which he refers to as his second home.

He says: “I’m a great supporter of the Lake District and go there about six times a year. The place is beautiful and the book is filled with Cumbrian recipes.”